Filenews 6 May 2021
The European Union is "ready to discuss" lifting the patent on vaccines against Covid, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has said.
"The European Union is also ready to discuss proposals to tackle the crisis in an effective and realistic way," the President of the Commission said in a speech at the European University in Florence.
"That is why we are ready to discuss how the US proposal to remove property rights over vaccines against Covid-19 can contribute to meeting these objectives," she added.
It is recalled that the position on the lifting of the patent was expressed in the context of a debate on such a move through the World Trade Organisation.
However, as an American official told Reuters, this takes time and a lot of discussion, as organisations such as the WTO operate on terms of unanimity and consensus.
The director general of the World Health Organisation (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who has repeatedly called on all countries - members of the organisation - to support the proposal to lift the patent, which India and South Africa have submitted to the WTO, said via Twitter: "This is a monumental moment in the battle against #COVID19. @POTUS Joe Biden & @USTradeRep Ambassador Tai's commitment to supporting the removal of vaccine copyright protections is a potential example of US leadership in addressing health challenges on a global scale."
Source: Capital.gr
